There have conventionally been proposed various devices that connect together an optical part adapted to transmit an optical signal and an electrical part adapted to transmit an electrical signal, while performing conversion between an optical signal and an electrical signal. Such a device is called a “photoelectric conversion/connection device” herein.
As one example of a photoelectric conversion/connection device, there is known, for example, an “optical module” which is small in size and low in cost by reducing the number of components of the optical module (see, e.g. Patent Document 1). The optical module disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises an optical element that performs photoelectric conversion, such as a light-emitting element such as a laser diode (LD) or a light-receiving element such as a photodiode (PD), and a subcarrier (sub-board) mounted with the optical element thereon. On the optical element mounting surface side of the subcarrier (sub-board), there is provided a ferrule (optical connector) protecting an optical fiber serving as an optical transmission medium. A recess (optical element receiving recess) large enough to accommodate the optical element therein is formed on one side wall surface (end face) of the ferrule (optical connector). A transparent resin is filled into this recess. The optical fiber and the optical element are optically coupled to each other. The ferrule (optical connector) is formed with electrical wiring (terminals) and is connected to a Pt board (motherboard) through this electrical wiring (terminals). A driver circuit for driving the optical element and so on are mounted on the Pt board. Patent Document 1 also discloses an example in which, instead of a subcarrier, a ferrule is provided with electrical wiring and an optical element is sealed with a sealing resin. Also in this case, a transparent resin is filled into a gap between the optical element and the ferrule.
As another example of a photoelectric conversion/connection device, there is known a “connector-type optical module” that can achieve a reduction in thickness and improvement in reliability by adding an improvement to an optical module of the type in which an optical semiconductor element and an optical connector are directly brought into contact with each other (see, e.g. Patent Document 2). The connector-type optical module disclosed in Patent Document 2 comprises an optical semiconductor element (optical element), a mounting board mounted with the optical semiconductor element thereon, and an optical connector provided on the optical semiconductor element mounting surface side of the mounting board. The optical connector holds an optical fiber while positioning it and is attached to the mounting board while being mechanically positioned. The mounting board is formed with a guide hole and the optical connector is provided with a guide pin.
As still another example of a photoelectric conversion/connection device, there is disclosed a “photoelectric interface” which is high in cost efficiency, simple in structure, and matchable even in a mass-production system (see, e.g. Patent Document 3). The photoelectric interface disclosed in Patent Document 3 comprises a photoelectric element including an optical element (optical element) and an interconnecting board (mounting board) mounted with the optical element thereon, and an optical connector (optical connector) provided on the optical element mounting surface side of the photoelectric element. The optical connector includes an optical fiber and comprises a plurality of projection-shaped matching devices. The photoelectric element has recess-shaped matching devices that engage with the plurality of projection-shaped matching devices.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-2005-257879    Patent Document 2: JP-B-3772163    Patent Document 3: JP-A-H7-72355